Dunsmore’s filmed portraits feature social actors who have transformed society, often filming them in locations of social-historic significance and projects exploring socio-political lived experience.
Becoming Christine
An exhibition made in partnership with Christine Beynon. 'Becoming Christine' is a extensive body of work based on the lived experience of UK/Irish Transgender activist Christine Beynon, comprising re-presented "selfies", a sound installation and a silent video portraiture. The "selfies" follow Christine's journey and transition over 12 years. These self-portraits range in tone from the painful, to the playful, from the mundane to the contemplative to the joyful. The immersive sound installation is a narrated artwork, which was a result of the collaborative partnership between the artist and Christine Beynon.
Becoming Christine project website: becoming-christine.com
The Irish LGBTQ+ activist, Senator David Norris portrait was filmed, as part of a 2012, older LGBTQ+ generation, year-long art project and commission. Senator Norris is a leading campaigner for gay rights, a humanist, a conservationist and academic. He is a renowned Joycean scholar and known as an animated and brilliant raconteur. Filmed in the attic of the James Joyce Centre, Dublin, the portrait is 20 mins. and silent. In this artwork Senator Norris sits composed, surrounded by books and the remnants of Joyce related activities. Senator David Norris Portrait, 20mins, 2012. Edition of 3 + AP. Edition 1, Galway County Council Collection. Edition 2, Ireland's National Collection, Crawford Gallery, Cork.
‘Lydia’ – Dr Lydia Foy, Irish Transgender activist, silent filmed video portrait, 18 mins, 2022.
Dr Lydia Foy has lived as a woman since 1991. In March 1993, Dr Foy applied to Ireland's office of the Registrar General for a new birth certificate to reflect her gender. She was refused. Dr Foy undertook a arduous twenty-two year legal battle with the Irish State. Ireland's Gender Recognition Act was passed on July 15th 2015. The Act was commenced in September and Dr Foy became the first person to be legally recognised by this Act. Lydia is also in the Guinness book of world records for growing the largest Foxglove in the world. In 2022, Dunsmore filmed Lydia’s portrait in her front garden in Athy, Ireland.
'Nell, Platform 2, Connelly train station', 2019.
Nell McCafferty is known as a social campaigner, a playwright and an outspoken feminist. Described as 'The fiercest feminist of her time.’ Aine Lawler, RTE, Morning Ireland, 2023.
She wrote about the church and state, their attitudes to women and the working class and, the role the British government in Northern Ireland. She has been prominent in campaigns for contraception, divorce and equal pay. She was a founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement (IWLM).
In 1971 members of the IWLM travelled to Belfast by train to buy contraceptives in protest against the law prohibiting the importation and sale of contraceptives in Ireland. At Connolly Street Station in Dublin, where the Belfast train had returned to Platform 2, with the women on board, demonstrators chanted “let them though” and “enforce the constitution” at the customs officials. It was a landmark moment in the Irish women’s movement.
Nell McCafferty's portrait was filmed on Platform 2, of Connelly Street train station, Dublin, in 2019. At this time, this portrait has not been exhibited and filming location documentation represent the artwork.